Kylar Hanley

Ecology Chapter questions:

Chapter 52: intro to ecology and the biosphere
1. Ecology - the study of the interactions between organisms and the environment.
2. Subfields of ecology:
Organism: 1 living thing
Population: group of the same living things (species)
Community: all populations; from bacteria to animals
Ecosystem: biotic and abiotic components of an environment
Biosphere: thin volume of earth and air that supports life.
3. Biotic factors (living factors) are all the organisms that are part of the individual's environment.
Abiotic factors (non-living) are all the chemical and physical factors. Biotic factors include:
animals and plants. Abiotic factors include: temperature, light, water, and nutrients. If a single
factor is changed it can have impacts on the whole ecosystem-on both abiotic and biotic factors.
4. Eutrophication is a process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become
highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae
or Cyanobacteria.
Chapter 53: population ecology
5. R-selected (opportunistic) maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments
(density independent selection). They have short maturation and lifespan. They provide many
small offspring and have a high death rate. K selected are sensitive to population densities.
They have long maturation and lifespan and a low death rate.
6. An age structure diagram shows the relative number of individuals of each age in a
population.
7. Fecundity is the fruitfulness and fertility, the ability to produce abundant offspring.
Chapter 54: community ecology
8. Competition is interactions that occurs when individuals if different species compete for a
resource that limits their growth and survival. A niche is the "ecological role" of the organisms. 2
species cannot coexist in a community of their niches are identical.
9. Resource partitioning is the differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in
a community. This allows them to work together without complication.
10. predation is interaction between species in which one species, the predator, kills and eats
the other, the prey. If prey decreases, so does the predators.
11. Cryptic coloration is camouflage. Arose arid coloration is "warning". Mimicry is superficial
resemblance to another species. Bayesian is the palatable/harmless species mimics an
unpalatable/harmful model.

12. Herbivory is interaction in which an organisms eats parts of a plant or algae. To counteract
her ivory plants have adaptations that help counteract herbivory such as: toxins, spines, and
thrones.
13. Parasitism is the interaction in which one organism, the parasite derives its nourishment
from another organism, it's host which is harmed. An example would be interaction between tick
and a human. Mutualism is the interactions in which both species benefit. An example would be
the fish cleaning the other large fish's teeth. Commensalism is the interaction between species
that benefits one of the species but neither harms or helps the other. Algae on the shell of a
turtle is an example of commensalism.
14. Lichen is a simple slow-growing plant that typically forms a leaflike, or branching growth on
rocks, walls, and trees. Mycorrhizae is a fungus that grows in association with the roots of a
plant. They have a mutualistic relationship.
15. Keystone species exert control on community structure. If they were removed, they have a
large IMAP t of the food web and might even collapse of the ecosystem. Their effects on the
ecosystem are disproportionate relative to their abundance. Examples include: sea otters,
dragonfly, gray wolf, elk, and starfish.
16. Invasive species are organisms typically introduced by humans that take hold outside their
native range. They may not face the natural predators and disease that would otherwise hold
their populations at check.
17. Potato blight is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism which spreads rapidly in the
foliage. This cause decay and rot.
18. Ecological succession is the transition in species composition over ecological time. Primary
succession begins in a lifeless area; no soil, maybe by a volcano or glacier. Secondary
succession is where existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves soil
intact.
Chapter 55: ecosystem
19. A food web is interconnected feeding relationship in an ecosystem. Primary producers are at
the tropic level that supports all other; autotrophs. They convert light energy to chemical energy.
Primary consumers are herbivores. Then secondary consumers are carnivores. Tertiary
consumers are carnivores and omnivores. They have the least amount of biomass. Detrivores
are special consumers that derive nutrients from the non-living.
20. Both food web and food chains show the feeding pathway of an ecosystem.
21. If there is a decrease in the producer level, the other levels decrease. A disruption in energy
resources will decline the autotrophs.
22. Nutrient limitation is the element that must be added for production to increase. Nitrogen and
phosphorus are most common the limiting nutrient in marine environments.
23. The main processes driving the water cycle is the evaporation of liquid water by the sun, the
condensation of water, and precipitation. Carbon cycle forms the framework of the organic
molecules essential to all organisms. Photosynthesis by plants and phytoplankton removed
carbon dioxide each year. Fossil fuel add bug amounts of CO2.the nitrogen cycle is a part of

limiting plant nutrients. That major pathway for nitrogen to enter an ecosystem is through
nitrogen fixation. Denitrification also occurs in this cycle. The phosphorus cycle are important
because organisms require phosphorus for Nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP
24. Dead zones are places in bodies of water that have low oxygen areas that can kill marine
life. This is caused by human pollution.
25. Biological magnification is trophic process in which retained substances become
concentrated at higher levels.